Statement made on 02 June 2009 by Senator Lucie Pépin (retired)
Hon. Lucie Pépin:
Honourable senators, since 1987, May 28 has been recognized and celebrated around the world as the International Day of Action for Women's Health. This is a great time for a progress report.
Women's health needs are different. Gender should be a critical consideration in the development of health policies.
Sadly, in many countries, women are still at the bottom of the list, which results in unequal access to health care and millions of deaths due primarily to haemorrhaging, infection and back alley abortions. As we work to help developing countries address their challenges, we must focus more on the importance of healthy mothers.
Here in Canada, female health issues are finally getting the attention they deserve.
Considerable progress has been made in the area of reproductive health care. Contraception is much more accessible and reproductive technology is widely available to women.
However, things are far from perfect. The status quo on abortion is constantly being challenged. Access to the termination of a pregnancy is still limited in New Brunswick and non-existent in Prince Edward Island.
Aboriginal women in Canada have yet to enjoy the same progress as other Canadian women. They begin having children at a young age. We must pay greater attention to the sexual health and reproductive rights of young Aboriginal women, especially those who live in isolated or northern regions. Like all Canadian women, Aboriginal women are also entitled to health care.
Despite appearances, we have not yet fully mastered maternal health care. According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, this country is facing a crisis in obstetrical care, and this will have repercussions on Canadian women who give birth in the future.
There is a lack of human resources. Mothers and babies in small towns, villages and rural areas do not have adequate emergency obstetric care. Yet every Canadian woman, regardless of where she lives, should be able to give birth safely close to home.
I join with the SOGC and its partners in calling for the creation of a Canada-wide birthing strategy. Such a strategy would allow mothers and children to get the care they need.
I would like to commend the outstanding work of the community health centres and centres of excellence network across the country, which helps provide Canadian women with appropriate, effective health care services.
I would also like to commend the work of the teams behind the womenshealthmatters.ca and femmesensante.ca websites. Thanks to the range of information they contain, those websites and other similar projects give women the facts they need to stay healthy. I am pleased to have this opportunity to congratulate and thank them.